Technology and Gen Z: Gaming Ethics

"While watching TV and videos (at 2:38 a day on average) and gaming (1:21 per day) are still popular among teens, listening to music (1:54 per day) and using social media (1:11 per day) appear to gain importance once young people enter the teenage years, adding to the total amount of time teens spend with media." - Trifecta Research, 2015

Gaming and Gen Z

Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and more have gained a significant amount of popularity amongst the Gen Z population in recent years. The gaming industry thrives off of these go-getters' constant desire to be doing something. Gaming connects users to an entire world of people just like them. As technology continues to advance gaming has progressed with it. There are now Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) games in which gaming has become more life-like than ever.

While gaming, Gen Z is able to chat and talk to friends online. Engaging with one and another online appeals to the desires of this hyperconnected generation. On average, Teens and Tweens game for about an hour and a half a day. This does not account for watching video games on streaming platforms such as Twitch. That's right--when Gen Z's aren't gaming they're watching video games live or pre-recorded online.

There are reportedly over 700 billion possible games to play online. Certain games include violence, nudity, and vulgarity which is concerning. The American Psychological Association (APA) considers violent video games a risk factor for aggression. In addition, Albert Bandura's Bobo the Doll experiment demonstrated how younger generations are even more likely to emulate violence when they see it in the media or in this case on their favorite video game.

The picture found above shows children acting violently towards Bobo the Doll during Albert Bandura's psychology experiment.

Ethical Conflict

Is it ethical for Gen Z to engage in gaming?

Pros

Gaming is an outlet for Gen Z's to engage with one and other. For many introverts, gaming has allowed them the opportunity to communicate with fellow gamers. Playing video games can help bring people together and encourages teamwork.

During the novel Coronavirus outbreak, gaming has been especially vital to Gen Z’s mental health. As Gen Z's are being laid off at three times the rate of their older counterparts they now find themselves with unwanted extra downtime and a general lack of purpose. Gaming has been a beneficial outlet for Gen Z's overall mental health now more than ever before.

Cons

Psychologists like Bandura would argue that gaming is unethical for Gen Z. Due to the fact that many video games are violent, teens and tweens should not play them. Research indicates that violence in video games leads to the propagation of violence in real life. There is no way of knowing which Gen Z's are more susceptible to start acting out the violent acts seen in video games. Therefore, playing video games should be seen as unethical to protect the greater good of society.

The Solution

Communitarianism ethics would support playing video games as ethically sound for Gen Z's everywhere. The overriding principles behind the communitarianism philosophy are based on "the belief that a person's social identity and personality are largely molded by community relationships, with a smaller degree of development being placed on individualism" (pg. 16). One Gen Z's individual decision to act violently because of a video game is not nearly as important as the way the gaming community acts. The majority of gamers and games are nonviolent and therefore gaming is ethical.